The silent scene in Star Wars that has audiences stumped

A silent sequence in the latest Star Wars film has left so many people baffled that a popular US cinema chain has begun issuing warnings to cinemagoers.

The public notices were attached to cinema doors after some people mistakenly thought there was a technical glitch during a nail-biting space battle scene in The Last Jedi'.

Carrie Fisher as General Leia in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Photo: AP

"The Last Jedi contains a sequence at approximately one hour and 52 minutes into the movie in which ALL sound stops for about 10 full seconds," one of the warnings at AMC Theatres reads. "While the images continue to play on the screen, you will hear nothing. This is intentionally done by the director for a creative effect."

AMC Theatres operates the largest share of cinemas in the US, followed by Regal Entertainment Group and Cinemark.

The Last Jedi's visual effects supervisor Ben Morris defended the silent sequence, arguing it was designed to challenge people's expectations.

"We always hoped that [scene] would resonate, both as a story beat and as a striking visual," he said in an interview with trade publication Collider.

"When I heard all of the cries and gasps in the silence, it was just fantastic. I think it shows strength, if you invert your normal concept of what space shots in Star Wars look like. We wanted to come up with something clean and new, that had that delicacy and serenity to it."

Despite the confusion, Star Wars: The Last Jedi has taken the box office by storm – snapping up more than $960 million in worldwide ticket sales as of Sunday.